by: Isabella Sarlija

We don’t know about you, but 2020 has us in a frenzy as numerous heart-breaking headlines pop up onto our screens daily. With all of the tragic things going on in the world, not to mention the stressful daily occurrences in our personal lives, it’s easy for our anxiety to engulf our entire beings. Yet, through rituals and routines, we can create a sense of normalcy in our lives, and we can minimize the effects of our stressors. Lately, we’ve been delving into sound baths, night-time routines, and practicing acupressure. Born from Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupressure uses specific points in the body to release energy (or qi) that may be blocked. There are many benefits to acupressure like reducing inflammation, alleviating pain, and, you guessed it, relieving stress and anxiety. Here are a few of our favorite acupressure points for coping with many of life’s stressors. 

Shoulder Well Point

This point exists on the shoulder, where we tend to hold a lot of the stress we are experiencing. To locate the shoulder well point, place your hand on the crevice where your neck and shoulder meet. Once you’ve located the crevice, slide your hand down to where your trapezius muscle meets the end of your shoulder. Place your hand slightly above where your shoulder blade begins, and begin to feel the area for tension. Once you have located the stress, firmly pinch the site with your index and middle fingers. After a few seconds, release the pinch. Repeat for one to two minutes, or as long as you need to feel a proper release of tension.

Union Valley

This might be one of our favorite acupressure points to turn to when we are feeling the weight of the world. Union valley lives on the hand, specifically in the webbing between the thumb and pointer finger. With your opposite hand, firmly pinch the area and hold for roughly two to four minutes. As you occupy your hands with this helpful technique, consider throwing in some deep-breathing exercises to amp up this stress reduction exercise. 

Hall of Impression

This point is located exactly in between the brows. Firmly press on this point with your middle finger while gently massaging in circular motions. Hold this position for about two minutes while you begin some deep breathing exercises. This will unblock any stagnant energy in the body, which relieves tension and stress.